Auction News

May '09

Auction from Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car

TR Returns to Modena
If you've looked at anything sports car-related online in the last six weeks, you've probably seen a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, the star car at RM's May 17 Ferrari Leggenda e Passione in Modena, but frankly, who wouldn't want to see it again? It's simply one of the most magnificent cars ever raced, although the only international event in which it competed was the 1958 1,000km of Buenos Aires. On the other hand, it saw a lot more regional action than most other customer TRs and, well, just look at the thing. 0174TR has been in private ownership in Japan since 1985, and in 2005 was offered at $11 million, which would make RM happy today. Contact: www.rmauctions.com.
Cheap Corniche
We've been thinking a lot about affordable Rolls-Royces recently, and are planning a luxo-barge comparo for a future issue. So we're keeping a closer eye than usual on the market, including cars like the 1980 Corniche consigned to the Kruse auction at Paso Robles, California, on May 22-23. A single-owner car, it's swallowed $20,000 in upkeep over the last four years, good news in a car where maintenance is often long deferred. Expect as much as $30,000 at the sale, a far cry from the $147,000 retail price in 1980. Contact: www.kruse.com.
One Wacky Wolseley
Barrett-Jackson, home of the car-eating Carasaurus, is no stranger to unlikely oddballs, but the Wolseley Hornet Mark II convertible sold there in January was weird in wonderfully subtle ways. You won't have much trouble believing the idea originated at a cocktail party, where Heinz Soups and Crayford Coach Works dreamed up the idea of a limited edition Heinz 57 vehicle to introduce a new line of soups. Power was from a transverse BMC 998cc engine (think Mini), but the interior was Wilton cut wool and Connolly hides. B-J got $9,625 for it, including 10 percent commission, which we'll confidently state is a record for the type. Or should be. Contact: www.barrett-jackson.com.

This article originally appeared in the May, 2009 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car.